1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a retainer for storing needled-sutures combinations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a suture retainer defining a plurality of elongated individual suture compartments for storing individual sutures.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many types of retainers for sutures and combined surgical needled-suture devices are known in the art. Generally, a retainer should be constructed to adequately secure a needle and suture while providing easy withdrawal during use. It is also preferable to minimize the formation of kinks or bends in the suture during storage.
However, in many of the retainers known heretofore, the sutures are stored in a coiled configuration or a figure eight configuration. Depending on the type of suture material and the duration in which the suture remains in the retainer, the stored suture may assume a set, i.e., the suture may assume the shape in which it is stored. Accordingly, after removal of the suture from the retainer, the suture must be initially straightened in order to perform the desired suturing procedure.
A further objective sought in the design of retainers, particularly retainers intended for storing more than one suture, is to construct the package in a manner such that the delicate sutures are stored and maintained in some form of spaced relation to each other so that access and removal of the suture may be readily available without entanglement of the sutures.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,528 to Brown et al. discloses a package for containing a plurality of combined surgical suture devices in individual storage receptacles. The Brown '528 package includes a backing panel with a molded cover adhesively affixed to the backing panel. The molded cover defines a plurality of elongated blister tracks for accommodating individual flexible sutures. The backing panel includes suture receiving ports and vacuum apertures which communicate with each blister track to facilitate loading and removal of the sutures. Another molded type suture retainer is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,283 to Brown.
Although the retainers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,123,528 and 5,154,283 have been found to be highly effective for their intended purpose, the present invention is directed to further modifications wherein an elongated suture retainer stores a plurality of sutures with a minimum number of folds or creases in the suture material while maintaining the individuality of each suture with respect to the others.